1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to powder deposition machinery, and more particularly to a shoe machine utilizable for applying a coating of plastic material from a rotating receiving belt to a substrate.
2. Prior Art
The shoe and apparel industry have for many years been applying stiffening and reinforcing means to their shoe uppers, blue jeans, pajamas, sports clothing, and visors of caps and the like.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 451,919, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,581, to Simmonds et al and assigned to the present assignee, shows a machine for applying powdered material to a substrate, wherein a powder deposition station has a stencil assembly which applies a powder onto an annular receiving belt, the powder being applied in a three-dimensional configuration because peripheral spacer means are arranged on the cut-out between the stencil and the receiving belt. The annular receiving belt surface is empowered to rotate to an arcuate heating station where the powder thereon is fused by heating elements arranged thereabove and therebelow. The fused powder is then moved on the belt to a join and cool station, where a substrate such as a shoe upper or a portion of a garment is first received in a gripping arrangement on a rotatable transfer means at the join and cool station, and thereafter rotated and pressed against the fused powder by the transfer means causing it to press against a chill plate beneath the receiving belt. The substrate with the fused powder adhered thereto is then lifted by the transfer means from the receiving belt after the substrate and fused powder has cooled somewhat, the transfer means with the gripping means holding the now reinforced substrate, rotating the substrate configuration from facing the receiving belt, to enable the transfer means to present the substrate at its initial location for unloading thereof by a machine operator from the gripping arrangement on the transfer means, the receiving belt rotating so as to present a new location and configuration of fused powder thereon to the deposition station. Residue of the fused powder, however, may remain deposited on portions of the receiving belt after the fused configuration of powder has been pressed by the substrate and lifted therefrom. This may present a problem to subsequent depositions of powder which are to be deposited at the same location on the rotatable receiving belt.
It is an object of the present invention, to provide a means for conditioning the receiving belt prior to its rotation to the deposition station.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means for removing contamination from the receiving belt to improve the quality of the deposition at the deposition station.